Canadian Doctors Respond To The Cass Review: "It's completely unethical"

A Canadian doctor disagrees with the Cass review's findings and is speaking out about it. The Cass review has resulted in a complete and immediate ban on trans-affirming healthcare at the NHS in the UK.

One of the biggest concerns is the report’s assertion that almost all existing research into clinical guidance for trans youth is of “poor quality” and that there isn’t “a reliable evidence base, upon which to make clinical decisions,” including through international guidelines, Pink news reports.

That's a move away from the standard of care supported by many international medical bodies, including the Canadian Pediatric Society (CPS), the American Academy of Pediatrics and World Professional Association for Transgender Health.

To summarize, Dr. Cass is saying that every doctor in the world is wrong by treating trans youth affirmingly, adhering to Standards of care developed independently in many Western countries by every major medical association therewithin and those SOC should be disregarded because in her opinion they lack credibility.

"There actually is a lot of evidence, just not in the form of randomized clinical trials," said Dr. Jake Donaldson, a family physician in Calgary who treats transgender patients, including prescribing puberty blockers and hormone therapy in some cases.

"That would be kind of like saying for a pregnant woman, since we lacked randomized clinical trials for the care of people in pregnancy, we're not going to provide care for you.… It's completely unethical."

Dr Ruth Pearce: What's wrong with the Cass Review?

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American Academy Of Pediatrics Responds to UK Cass Review: It's Politics, Not Science

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Two American medical organizations, the Endocrine Society And the American Academy Of Pediatrics have issued statements rejecting the Cass review as politically motivated and without scientific basis.

The Cass Report commissioned by the United Kingdom's conservative government has resulted in a countrywide ban on gender-affirming care for people enrolled in the National Healthcare System. This report is in stark contrast to every major American medical association which over decades has found that gender-affirming care, for youth diagnosed with gender dysphoria, is in fact life-saving.

STATEMENT FROM THE ENDOCRINE SOCIETY: "Medical evidence, not politics, should inform treatment decisions."

"We stand firm in our support of gender-affirming care. Transgender and gender-diverse people deserve access to needed and often life-saving medical care. NHS England’s recent report, the Cass Review, does not contain any new research that would contradict the recommendations made in our Clinical Practice Guideline on gender-affirming care."

Similar sentiments were shared by Dr. Ben Hoffman, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, who responded to the Cass Review,

“What we’re seeing more and more is that the politically infused public discourse is getting this wrong and it’s impacting the way that doctors care for their patients. Physicians must be able to practice medicine that is informed by their medical education, training, experience, and the available evidence, freely and without the threat of punishment. Instead, state legislatures have passed bills to ban and restrict gender-affirming care, which means that right now, for far too many families, their zip code determines their ability to seek the health care they need. Politicians have inserted themselves into the exam room, and this is dangerous for both physicians and for families.”

Every major medical association and leading world health authority supports health care for transgender people and youth. They are also increasingly speaking out against the disinformation being spread by opponents of this care.

The following have issued statements in support of health care for transgender people and youth:

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

American Academy of Dermatology

American Academy of Pediatrics

American Academy of Physician Assistants

American Medical Association

American Nurses Association

American Association of Clinical Endocrinology

American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry

American College Health Association

American College of Nurse-Midwives

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

American College of Physicians

American Counseling Association

American Heart Association

American Medical Student Association

American Psychiatric Association

American Society of Plastic Surgeons

American Society for Reproductive Medicine

American Urological Association

Endocrine Society

Federation of Pediatric Organizations

GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality

The Journal of the American Medical Association

National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health

National Association of Social Workers

Ohio Children’s Hospital

Pediatric Endocrine Society

Pediatrics (Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics ) and Seattle Children’s Hospital

Texas Medical Association

Texas Pediatric Society

United States Professional Association for Transgender Health (USPATH)

World Health Organization (WHO)

World Medical Association

World Professional Association for Transgender Health

 

The Trans affirming care offered by these medical associations has helped nearly 100,000 transgender US citizens become all that we can be. Given the current political situation that is nothing less than a miracle.

The 2022 USTS (United States Transgender Survey) is the largest survey ever conducted to examine the experiences of binary and nonbinary transgender people in the United States, with an unprecedented 92,329 respondents. The survey was programmed and hosted by Qualtrics, and data collection was managed by Qualtrics throughout the 48-day fielding period.

Nearly all respondents (98%) who were currently receiving hormone treatment reported that receiving hormones for their gender identity/transition made them either “a lot more satisfied” (84%) or “a little more satisfied” (14%) with their life.

One percent (1%) reported that hormones made them “neither more nor less satisfied” with their life, and less than 1% said that they were “a little less satisfied” or “a lot less satisfied” with their lives after receiving hormones.

Dr Cass told PBS in an interview that two metrics, employment, and 'getting out of the house' should used to determine the effectiveness of trans-affirming medical care. However to use those metrics a baseline a society free from transphobia and discrimination would need to be established. This statement by her serves to highlight how politized and removed from reality the Cass review actually is.